Just Like the Movies
by IronAngel240
Summary: Regina Mills is a disgraced, former A-List actress. Emma Swan is a rising director known to the public only as "Savior". When Regina is cast in Emma's Broadway play, the two women at first clash, but a tentative friendship forms. When tragedy strikes their friendship deepens into more. But demons from both women's pasts threatens to tear them apart. Can their love survive? AU.
1. The Evil Queen Returns!

_**THE EVIL QUEEN RETURNS!**_

 _January 12, 2012_

 _Regina Mills started out winning beauty pageants at the tender age of five. With the infamous Cora Mills as her mother (and manager), many say that Mills was born with acting in her blood. Mills Senior refutes that quote saying, "_ Regina's talent comes through hard work and extraordinary effort."

 _In 1992, Mills was cast as Sara Crewe in the Disney classic, A Little Princess, and our hearts were immediately stolen by the dark haired, 8 year old beauty. Her outstanding performance won Mills an Oscar nomination and opened doors that many veteran actors tried for years to pry open with crowbars. Mills continued to rise with the stars and at 16 she won her first Oscar award. Later that same year, Regina Mills met Leopold White, a widowed, prestigious movie producer. There was a lot of speculation riding around Mills and White's relationship, but nothing was ever proven or confirmed. When asked about the nature of her relationship with White, Mills would say, "_ Leo is a great friend and a wonderful mentor. I learn a great deal from him and I hope our relationship will continue for many years."

 _Well, Mills got her wish, as two years later wedding bells were a'ringin and eighteen year old Mills married thirty seven year old White. The press expressed their incredulity at the match, but the "Happy Couple" refused to comment regarding it. After a 6 month honeymoon abroad with White's seven year old daughter, Snow, tagging along, the White family returned home. Over the course of the next few years, Mills was seen less and less on the silver screen; her roles became more and more obscure before Leo White announced his wife's "retirement" from the Hollywood scene. Mills was silent and gave no comment regarding her reasons for retirement. Whilst Mills' career was put on the back burner, Leo and Snow White's shot through the roof. White became well known as the King of all Producers and his daughter began making a name for herself as the sweet and charming little Princess she is. Mills continued to appear in public alongside her husband at social events, but it was quickly discovered that marriage had turned the warm, open and kind young girl into a cold, distant woman._

 _As White's interest in the corporate world of movie production waned and his interest in the various college aged young women increased, Mills stepped in as deputy CEO of Poisoned Apple Productions and it was here that her ruthless and cunning nature blossomed. Mills turned PA Productions around and the company flourished beneath her leadership. But as the company grew in success the Mills/White marriage started to go downhill at a startling rate._

 _News of White's various affairs were reported and the Royal couple's marriage was once again thrust into the spotlight. It came out that the fairytale marriage was anything but happy. Insiders reported that Mills was "_ Cold, distant and a royal F****** bitch." _Whilst Mills once again gave no comment regarding the scandal surrounding her marriage, there were definite talks of divorce in the air. The talks were short lived, as eight months later Leo White was found dead in his office._

 _The Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide and cause of death as poisoning. Mills was questioned by police and named as their number 1 suspect, however, all evidence was circumstantial and the DA declined to prosecute. This was not the end for Mills' nightmare as shortly thereafter the board of Poisoned Apple Productions called a meeting and effectively voted Mills out of power. Whilst Mills still held majority shares in the company as well as a sizeable portion of her deceased husband's estate, she no longer had any voting powers in the company she spent ten years building up._

 _Mills quietly faded from the news and back into obscurity until last week when we received an exclusive tip that the Evil Queen has come out of hiding! Mills is ending her 10 year hiatus and auditioning for the roll of Velma Kelly in the Broadway rendition of_ CHICAGO. _The production is directed by the famed, elusive and secretive director known only as Savior. No one knows who this brilliant director is who showed up out of nowhere and blew our minds with their rendition of The Phantom of the Opera last Fall. One thing is for certain though, The Savior and The Evil Queen working on one production? This will make for one interesting story. So watch this space folks!_


	2. The Audition

"If you will wait in here, Miss Mills, Savior will be right with you."

Regina Mills stepped past the brunette with the red streaks in her hair with an air of superiority and disinterest, when in reality her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Thank you, Miss Lucas," Regina replied curtly taking in the small rec room with slight distaste.

"Call me Red," the girl chuckled as she checked her phone. "I'll leave you to it."

With one last friendly smile, Red left the room and closed the door behind her. Regina set her bag down and shrugged off her jacket and carefully laid it over the back of the couch. She tried to calm her heart beat.

 _Easy, Mills,_ Regina thought, _it's just an audition. You've been on hundreds of these._

Well, okay, maybe not _hundreds_ , but her fair share. But this one was probably the most important audition of her life, because it would be the last one. If she didn't get this role… her career in the movie industry would be… well, more dead than it was now. It was fine though, she would get this role. All Regina had to do was impress the Savior guy. And guys were easy to impress, just flash a bit of leg and show of a bit of cleavage and they were putty in her hands.

 _What if he's gay?_ Regina's hands froze from adjusting her watch on her left wrist. _What if he's gay and you just end up making a fool of yourself?_

Regina's heart began to pound even faster as her breathing became shallow.

 _Mother was right. I'm too old to try and revive my career and a Broadway show is just a step down from what I used to do. What am I thinking? I should just leave now before anyone knows I was here._

Her mind made up and her fear getting the better of her, Regina quickly picked up her bag and turned to leave. As she reached for her coat she heard a voice say, "Coffee?"

Regina spun around, her heart in her throat as she spotted a young blonde woman standing by the coffee machine for the first time. The blonde's back was to Regina. Her golden hair was pulled back in a messy pony tail and she was dressed in black skinny jeans, ankle high boots and a dark grey knit sweater. The only splash of color came from the bright red scarf that was wrapped loosely around her neck. The woman turned and Regina was greeted with a beautiful set of blue green eyes behind thick framed glasses. Thin, red lips spread into a kind smile as a pale, graceful hand stretched out towards Regina holding a mug.

"Th-thank you," Regina stuttered uncharacteristically. "I'm sorry, dear, I didn't see you when I came in."

"No worries," the girl replied, "I was just making some coffee."

"Yes, I can see that," Regina said as she took the cup from the blonde.

"You here for an audition?"

"Yes, I'm supposed to be meeting Savior. Do you know him?" Regina answered.

Something flashed in the blonde's eyes and an amused expression took over her features.

"We've met," chuckled the blonde, "I'm Emma Swan."

"Regina Mills," Regina shook the proffered hand.

"Yes, Miss Mills. I'm familiar with your work," Emma smiled.

"Really?"

"Actually," Emma leaned in closer, one hand gripping her coffee mug and the other shoved into one of the pockets of her jeans, and whispered, "I'm kind of a fan."

Regina leaned back and laughed. Emma grinned like a kid that had just been given a sweet.

"Would you like to sit and keep me company until this Savior arrives, Miss Swan?" Regina asked as she sat on one of the couches and gestured to the other seat, "If he's anything like the other directors I've worked with, his ego will demand that he keeps me waiting for at least 30 minutes. Unless, of course, you have more coffee to make."

Emma looked more and more amused and she even seemed to be trying to contain her laughter.

Regina frowned. Was Emma making fun of her? Stiffening in her seat, Regina snapped sarcastically, "Have I said something amusing, dear?"

"Not at all, Miss Mills. Forgive me if I've offended you. But if someone'd told me yesterday I'd be having coffee with _The_ Regina Mills, I probably would have laughed in their face."

Regina tilted her head and regarded the woman curiously.

"And yet here we are, and you _are_ laughing in my face," Regina pointed out.

Emma held up her hands in surrender, "Okay, okay truce. Yes, Miss Mills, I would love to keep you company until the egotistical jackass of a Savior shows up."

Regina felt the corners of her mouth twitch as she fought a smile.

"Ah!" Emma yelled, "There it is, the lady _does_ have a sense of humor!"

Regina rolled her eyes and gestured for Emma to sit. The blonde flopped into the arm chair and swung her legs over the arms.

"So, Regina... Can I call you Regina?"

Regina arched an eyebrow as she regarded the young woman.

"I don't see why not," the brunette actress answered as she took a sip of her coffee.

Emma grinned again.

"So, _Regina_ , what role are you auditioning for?"

"Velma Kelly."

Emma's eyebrows rose. "Really? I would have thought you'd be auditioning for the lead as Roxie Hart?"

Regina stiffened.

"There was a…suggestion that I didn't look…innocent enough to pull of the role of Roxie."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "Whoever said that was an idiot. To be honest, I think you'd be perfect as Roxie."

Regina gave a patronizing, half smile and took another sip of her coffee as she said, "Thank you, dear."

Emma regarded her in silence for a few more moments before she said, "Did you bring a copy of the script with you? I can help you run a few lines if you'd like? It might calm your nerves?"

Regina's head snapped up. "Who said anything about nerves?"

Emma grinned impishly once more and raised a knowing eyebrow in challenge.

Regina rolled her eyes and reached into her bag to pull out the well-worn script she had already memorized. Emma took the script from Regina's hand. For a brief second their hands touched. Regina inhaled sharply as a spark of… something flashed between the two women. Brown eyes snapped up to meet green ones. Regina felt herself completely captivated.

Realizing that they had been staring at each other for an inappropriate period of time, Regina broke eye contact and cleared her throat as she sat back in her chair.

"Whi-which scene would you like to start with?" Emma stuttered.

Emma and Regina ran lines for about 15 minutes. Regina was impressed at the blonde's diverse manner of acting out the different characters.

"…You want some advice, Honey?" Regina looked Emma up and down with a smirk, "Here it is, direct from me to you. Keep your paws of my underwear. Okay?"

Emma chuckled and said, "Well, you nailed Velma's sassiness that's for bloody sure."

Regina felt a blush creep into her cheeks. She ducked her head to try and hide it as she said, "I think the term you're looking for is 'Bitchiness'."

Emma laughed out loud. "Between you and me? I always found Roxie to be the bitchier one. I always had more sympathy for Velma."

Regina frowned. That was a new opinion.

"How do you figure?" the brunette asked with a furrowed brow, "Velma is a bitch with a diva complex. Everyone knows that."

Emma shrugged as she took a swig of her now lukewarm coffee. She grimaced and put her coffee mug on the table as she leaned forward in her seat. "I disagree. Not much is known about Velma's back story, but I can't imagine it would have been moonshine and roses. I think she had to fight for everything in her life. Tooth and nail. The only person she felt like she could trust was her sister and eventually her husband. Maybe she even felt like her life was finally starting to look good. She had a winning act, a husband she loved, a sister and dance partner she adored. Then the two people she loved most betrayed her. And just like that," Emma snapped her fingers, "It's all gone. I still maintain: Evil isn't born, it's made."

Regina stared slightly slack jawed at the blonde's passionate speech. She had always loved the movie Chicago, but she had never given such in depth thought to the characters before. But what shocked the actress even more was Emma's ability to see beyond Velma's face value. She saw the person behind the murderous Diva. _Maybe she'd be able to see the woman behind the Evil Queen_ , Regina thought absentmindedly.

Regina was pulled from her musings when Emma cleared her throat.

"Anyway," the coffee girl said, "That's enough of my philosophical musings."

Regina laughed with the younger woman.

"You're pretty solid with the dialogue," Emma said as she stood and walked over to the table across the room, "All we need to test out is your singing capabilities."

Emma winked at Regina as she plugged her iphone into the docker. She scrolled through her playlist before she settled on a song and pressed play. Smooth Jazz flowed from the device and Regina recognized it as Velma's first number "All That Jazz".

"The stage is yours, Miss Mills," Emma said with a flourished bow. Regina's quirked in amusement. She swallowed nervously as she stood and smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt.

Emma plopped back down in her seat with an exited grin. She pulled her legs up and sat cross legged like a child. Regina once again chuckled and shook her head at the blonde's antics, before composing herself to start the song. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and sang.

 _Come on, Babe, why don't we paint the town?_

 _And all that Jazz._

 _I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down,_

 _And all that Jazz._

 _Start the car, I know a whopper spot, where the gin is cold but the piano's hot,_

 _It's just a noisy hall where there's a nightly brawl,_

 _And all. That. Jazz._

Regina felt herself loosen up as the music took over and she began to sway her hips to the melody.

 _Slick your hair and wear your buckle shoes._

 _And all that Jazz._

 _I hear the father dips are gonna blow the blues._

 _And all that Jazz._

 _Hold on, hon, we're gonna bunny hug,_

 _I bought some Aspirin down at United Drug,_

 _In case you shake apart and want a brand new start,_

 _To do. That. JAZZ!_

Regina lost all her inhibitions as she danced around the room, letting the music flow through her and guide her steps.

 _Find a flask, we're playing fast and loose._

 _And all that Jazz._

 _Come on, Babe, we're gonna brush the sky,_

 _I bet you Lucky Lindy never flew so high._

 _Cause in the stratosphere,_

 _How could he lend an ear._

 _To all. That. Jazz._

 _Oh! You're gonna see her sheba shimmy shake._

 _And all that Jazz._

 _Oh! She's gonna shimmy till her garters break._

 _And all that Jazz._

 _Show her where to park her girdle,_

 _Oh, her mother's blood is curdle,_

 _If she's hear her baby's queer,_

 _For all. That. Jazz._

 _And all. That. JAZZ!_

Regina grinned as for the first time in so long she allowed her talent to emerge from her.

 _Come on, Babe, why don't we paint the town?_

 _And all that Jazz._

 _I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down,_

 _And all that Jazz._

 _Start the car, I know a whopper spot, where the gin is cold but the piano's hot,_

 _It's just a noisy hall where there's a nightly brawl,_

 _And all. That. Jazz._

 _No, I'm no one's wife,_

 _But, oh, I love my life!_

 _And all. That. JAAAZZ!_

 _That Jazz!_

Regina panted as she froze in her final pose. Her heart rate returned to normal and the spell the music had her under slowly faded from her body. There was a silence in the rec room. Blood rushed to Regina's face as she straightened and pushed a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear. Her high faded slowly and her eyes flitted up to see Emma sitting with her mouth hanging open in her seat.

"Was it that bad?" Regina scoffed to hide her discomfort.

Emma opened and closed her mouth several times and blinked rapidly.

"Miss Mills…" Emma began but she was interrupted when the door flew open and Red hustled into the room.

"Oh, Emma!" Red exclaimed, "There you are. Miss Mills, I'd like to introduce - "

"No need, Red!" Emma yelped as she jumped to her feet. "Miss Mills and I have already acquainted ourselves."

"Yes," Regina narrowed her eyes at the suspicious exchange. "Your coffee girl has some wonderfully in depth opinions about the show. Maybe your absentee director should take a few pointers from her. For example… how to show up on time for an appointment."

No one could miss the irritation in the actress' voice.

Red looked thoroughly confused and Regina actually started to question the girl's mental capability.

"Yeah, Red," Emma piped up, "You should really tell Savior he's an egotistical jackass for keeping Miss Mills waiting."

Regina threw a half smile Emma's way. The blonde was brave, talking about her boss that way.

"O…kay…?" Red said in the same confused tone as she looked between the two women.

"Well," Emma said as she clapped her hands, "I should really get back to work. Coffee isn't going to make itself."

Emma turned to Regina and picked up the older woman's hands between her own. Emma looked deeply into Regina's eyes as she said, "It was wonderful to meet you, Regina. And in my opinion, the part is yours."

Regina beamed as she squeezed Emma's hands.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. I just hope Savior shares your sentiment."

Emma grinned as her eyes focused on something behind Regina.

"Oh, I'm sure he will," Emma looked back at Regina, gave her hand one final squeeze before stepping past her to leave. Regina already missed the warmth of Emma's hands. It had been so long since she'd felt a friendly touch.

"Miss… Emma?" Regina called after the blonde. Emma paused in the doorway next to Red.

"I… I hope to see you around set? If I get the part that is," Regina said with a hopeful smile. Emma grinned and said, "I have a feeling we will run into each other every now and then."

Regina returned Emma's smile. The blonde winked at Regina one last time before she left the room. Regina looked back at Red who seemed to be trying to work out a complicated math problem in her head. Now that Emma's jovial spirit had left the room, Regina felt her irritation return.

"Well, Miss Lucas?" the actress asked, "Will I be meeting this Savior or have I simply wasted my time this morning?"

Not completely true as Regina did not feel her time spent with Emma had been a waste.

Red was startled at Regina's outburst and her head snapped up to focus on the older woman.

"Yes, Miss Mills!" Red stammered, "Savior asked me to give you his most sincere apologies, but he will be unable to make it to the audition today - "

Regina scoffed and irately gathered her things.

"Tell your 'Savior' that I do not appreciate being made a fool of," Regina hissed as she shoved past Red.

"Wait, Miss Mills!" Red called after Regina. Regina turned with her signature glare, one that made grown men curl into a call and cry for their mamas.

Red gulped and quickly said, "Savior extends his profuse apologies and says that if you are agreeable, he'd be honored to have you play the part of Velma Kelly."


End file.
